"How did it happen...?? How..???" asked nisaar taking abeer in a corner.
Abeer kept looking at the floor unable to process what was going on.
"Yaar... Abeer react toh kar yaar..."
Shasha came and stood beside nisaar, looking at abeer for answers.
"Abeer everything will be fine dude... Trust me... Right nisaar...???" said shasha controlling her emotions.
"Yeah... Abeer we will pray for her... You also need to rest... Your wounds man.." said nisaar.
"Please guys... Leave me alone " abeer said for the first time.
Abeer turned and made his way to the ICU where his meher was.
Madhvi looked at abeer's condition and wiped her tears, trying to be strong enough for him. He needs her and someone to console him... Someone to tell him that all will be fine... This is just a phase and it will pass.
"Abeer... Beta"
Madhvi was interrupted by suman, meher's mother.
"Abeer... How did it happen...?? We trusted you abeer..." Suman said while sobbing.
"Aunty... I.. I.." Abeer was at short of words and unable to form coherent sentences.
"You promised me that you will take care of meher... You promised... Didn't you...??" Suman said blaming abeer for the accident.
"Suman ji please... It was an accident... Abeer is also injured... He has some hairline fractures too... Please don't blame him... This is not the time..." said Madhvi defending abeer.
"My daughter is in that ICU... Not your son... My daughter is struggling there... Fighting for life... Abeer is fine standing with us... My only daughter's life is in DANGER... And all because of him..." Meher's mother again blamed abeer.
"Suman please chup ho jao... Meher will be fine... She is a fighter..." Meher's father consoled her.
Abeer couldn't believe what was happening with him and that too on his birthday. He was being accused of not protecting the girl he loved more than his life. His steps unknowingly took him away from the ICU... May be his meher too...
Abeer rested his back against one wall and closed his eyes setting the tears pooling in his eyes.
"Abeer honestly I don't have a good feeling about this... We should stay home tonight... We will meet tomorrow for sure... And tonight, we can always talk on mobile..."
I don't have a good feeling about this...
I don't have a good feeling about this...
Thinking about meher's words made abeer believe that he was responsible for what was happening. Meher didn't want to go out but he insisted... He forced her to go out with him and got her injured in an accident.. "Serious condition" as the doctors stated.
I really wish that god gives me every single sorrow of yours and in return give you every little joy or happiness of mine...
"You wanted to take away my sorrows meher... But now you are taking away my life baby... I made a mistake and you are paying for it... I should have drived carefully... You will not pay for something I did... No meher... Come back baby... I love you..." Abeer whispered, his eyes still closed.
"Abeer... Abeer..." nisaar came running to call abeer.
"Nisaar meher..." asked abeer.
"She is sinking abeer... Come with me..."
Abeer ran towards the ICU after hearing those three dreadful words. "She is sinking"
"Time of death -"
Abeer ran to the doctor, pulled him away from meher and punched him.
"She is alive... Get away.."
Abeer sat beside meher and held her hand in his.
"Get up baby... Meher everyone thinks something happened to you... Open your eyes baby..."
"She is dead mister... Accept it" said the doctor.
"Nisaar isko bahar fekk please..." Abeer said to nisaar.
Nisaar led the doctor out of the ICU apologising on behalf of abeer.
Suman fell on the floor crying and meher's father supported her, trying to be brave enough on seeing his princess' lifeless form lying in front of his eyes. Madhvi was unable to control her emotions and she also cried her heart out.
Abeer glanced at them for a second and looked at meher.
"This is your gift to me meher... Is this the birthday present you were talking about...?? Get up now meher... Pleaseee... You can't leave me... I love you meher... I really love you... Please open your eyes baby... Stop this prank meher... Please stop... Meheeerrr" abeer shouted shaking meher's lifeless form.
Abeer hugged meher and cried this time.
"Please meher... God can't be cruel... You used to say it na... Then prove it today meher... God can't be cruel to us.. Please baby... We have a long way to go meher... Abhi toh shadi karni hai meher... Abhi toh tumhe meri dulhan banna hai... Meher please yaar... Ek baar... Bas ek baar laut aao... Please... Main marr jaunga meher... I will die without you... Come back..."
Abeer lost the last ounce of hope and cried his heart out.
"Beep beep"
Abeer looked at the monitor attached to the bed flickering and he ran out to call the doctor. Soon the doctor came inside and checked meher. He was trying his best to revive her life but still it felt nothing was right.
Something came into abeer's mind that moment and he promised something to god.
"Please meher ko bacha lo bhagwan... Please save her... Give meher her life back and I will go away from her... Its time for me to go through my punishment... I will stay away from her... Please just save her"
"Its a miracle... She is breathing... We will keep her under observation" said the doctor.
Every person present in the room smiled and prayed god for his mercy except one, Abeer. He knew now it was time for him to fulfill his promise... His share of punishment... He has to stay away from meher now... For meher and her life, he has to go away from her.
Abeer looked at meher and smiled seeing her breath again. He slowly made his way outside and sat on a chair.
After a while when everyone was satisfied about meher's wellness, they realised that abeer wasn't there with them. The same abeer who brought meher back to life. Nisaar came looking for abeer and sat beside him when he found him.
"Why are you sitting here...?? Cmon now... Get up and meet meher... She woke up and asked about you..." said nisaar.
"How is she...??" Abeer asked playing with his fingers.
"Doctors said she is better... Will be fine... Tu chal na..."
"I can't meet her nisaar... Just keep me updated about her health... I'm going home..."
Before nisaar could react, abeer left the hospital.
Nisaar went back to where everyone was and told them that abeer left saying he doesn't want to meet meher.
"Doesn't want to meet meher... Kya...??" asked Madhvi.
"He must be hurt... I said all those utterly hurtful words to him... All of it, is my fault..." said suman.
"I don't think so... Something is wrong... Definitely wrong..." said shasha.
"Kuch toh hua hai shasha... Abeer aisa nahi hai... He left without meeting meher... Unbelievable..." said Madhvi, worried for abeer.
"Abeerrr... Abbeeerrr"
Everybody panicked listening meher shouting abeer's name. The nurse came running out of the hospital room and called the doctor. The doctor immediately came into the room and gave meher some medicine and injection. Everybody gathered outside the room praying for meher.
"Who is abeer..??? The patient wants to meet him..." said the nurse who came out of the room.
"He is her fiance... My to be son-in-law " answered shyam, meher's father.
"Call him... Where is he..??" asked the nurse.
"I will call him..." said Madhvi.
Madhvi called abeer and he picked it up in the first ring.
"Where are you abeer...?? Meher wants to meet you.. She is constantly whispering your name..." she said.
"I... I will meet her tomorrow... I'm injured as well... I need rest... Mom tell them I'm sorry..." replied abeer faking he is tired and exhausted while tears kept rolling his cheek.
Abeer disconnected the call and Madhvi looked at her mobile screen shockingly. She could digest the fact that he was he same abeer, who was crying and begging meher to open her eyes and come back to life. And when she did come back for him, he isn't ready to meet her... He is making excuses.
"I'm sorry meher... Mujhe maaf kar do... Aaj.. Aaj mera pyaar tumhari jaan le jaata... My love could have killed you today... You have to forget me... We can't be together... I'm nothing but a bad news... I almost killed you with my carelessness... I'm not worthy of you... Worthy of being loved by you... I don't deserve you meher... But I still love you... I will always love you... Till my last breath..." Abeer cried his heart out and took out the engagement ring from his finger. Giving away all his rights on meher. He was letting meher go... Letting the girl go who he loved to bits, thinking she is all his for eternity.
Abeer almost decided that he will not go to the hospital anytime soon. Forget soon, he will not go and meet her. This will be the first step in this process of going away from meher. But sadly abeer couldn't do it. His heart wasn't listening to him... It wanted to see meher... It yearned for meher. Abeer finally decided to go and see meher.
Meher back in the hospital, kept looking at the door. Her eyes were fixed on the door, refusing to even blink. Where was abeer... Didn't he want to see her... Was he angry with her... Was something wrong him... Meher kept thinking all this until there was a knock on the door of her room.
The door opened and meher felt alive again when she saw the love of her life standing there at the door step. Meher's smile vanished when she saw his dull face, red puffed eyes, injury marks on his forehead, and a bandage on his right hand.
Abeer slowly made his way to meher's hospital bed and sat on the stool, his eyes not leaving hers even for a second.
"Happy birthday love..." Meher whispered.
"How are you now...??" Abeer asked ignoring what meher said.
"NOW I'm better..."
Abeer smiled at meher but that smile didn't reach his eyes, like it always did.
"Abeer... Sab theek hai na...??" Meher asked holding abeer's hand.
"Haan..."
"Lag toh nahi raha... Bahut... Bahut ajeeb lag raha hai..." said meher in a scared tone.
"Shhh... Chashmish..." Abeer said keeping a finger on his lips.
Meher nodded her head in response.
"Where is your ring abeer...??" asked meher looking at abeer's hand.
"Hmm... I think I lost it... I didn't even realise that I'm not wearing it... "
Meher nodded her head in positive but she didn't feel good... She felt really bad thinking that abeer lost their engagement ring.
"Listen to me carefully now... Start thinking about yourself meher... Start being a bit selfish... You were right when you focused on your carrier... Don't stop doing that ever... Just love yourself for what you are... Never change for anybody, not even me... Its your life, remember... Do what makes you happy... Give your dreams a chance and make it a purpose to achieve them all... But most of all, take care of your health... I can't compromise with your health..." Abeer told meher.
Meher looked at abeer in awe and nodded now and then to everything he said.
"Are you going somewhere...??? Abeer chot dimag pe lagi hai..." Meher asked and giggled.
"Dil pe..." Abeer whispered in an inaudible tone.
"What..???" asked meher.
"Nothing..."
"Its your birthday abeer... Bring me something sweet to eat... A brownie, may be..."
"Doctor ne mana kia hai meher..." Abeer replied.
"Please... And from when you exactly started following rules or orders... Cmon... Go and get something... Promise I won't eat it but I can feed it to you... Right..??"
"I had too much of cake already... So forget it..."
"Had already... Hmm..." Meher sighed in disappointment.
"I got to go now..." Abeer said getting up.
"No... Please stay some more time abeer... I want to be with you..." Meher insisted holding abeer's hand.
"I said I have to go... Leave my hand..."
"Please abeer..."
"Stop it yaar meher... Its damn childish you know... It's my birthday for God sake and I have to go... My friends are waiting for me.." Abeer said irritatedly.
Meher left his hand and closed her eyes in defeat. Abeer wished he died before making meher cry and hurt her. He wanted to kiss her for the last time, a goodbye kiss, but he couldn't. He looked at meher and went out of the room.
Meher couldn't control her emotions the moment she heard the click of the door. She bursted into tears and sobbed. Abeer had hurted her today and that too badly. He chose his friends over her just like when he chose shasha over her, that night. He left her alone sick in a hospital room.
Abeer sat in the car and tears rolled down his eyes. He hurted meher and in this process he was hurting himself too. Every hurtful word he said to her pained him as well. It felt like thousands of daggers pierced in his heart.
"Goodbye meher... Now you will never see your abeer... And the abeer you will see from now on, you will hate him..."